Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to a second presidential debate, weeks after rival Donald Trump said he wouldn’t participate in another face-off.
The debate, which would be held on CNN on October 23, would follow similar rules to the first two of the cycle.
“Both Vice President Harris and former President Trump received an invitation to participate in a CNN debate this fall as we believe the American people would benefit from a second debate between the two candidates for President of the United States,” CNN said in a statement.
Harris, whose performance in the first debate was regarded as the winner by roughly two-thirds of viewers, previously argued that voters deserved a second debate, as her campaign seeks to continue to build the candidate’s public image.
I will gladly accept a second presidential debate on October 23.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 21, 2024
I hope @realDonaldTrump will join me. https://t.co/Trb8HUBsDh
Trump, who claimed victory in the debate against Harris, said he wouldn’t appear for another match-up in a Truth Social post, but last week suggested that he might be open to it, “maybe if [he] got in the right mood,” according to CNN. Another debate could be crucial for Trump, as Harris’s polling numbers continue to improve.
The first presidential debate of the race, held between Trump and President Joe Biden in June, had a major impact on the race. Biden's disastrous performance raisied questions about his age and electability, ultimately leading to him dropping out of the race. In the 2020 race between Trump and Biden, the pair debated just twice, with Trump backing out of a third debate after coming down with COVID-19.
On Oct. 1, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance will face off in a vice presidential debate on CBS.
